Man United transfer repeat must be avoided as Arsenal expected to sanction January deal
After midweek Champions League action, eyes turn back to the Premier League for Arsenal this weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s men will look to get back to winning ways in the league when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday afternoon. The game will see them come up against Matheus Cunha, who they have been heavily linked with over the January transfer window.
The winter window has just over a week left to run with it closing on Monday, February 3. It means that Arsenal have just a matter of days left to complete their business with a forward on the radar following injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.
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As we close in on deadline day, football.london have taken a look at some of the stories doing the rounds. We have also given our thoughts on the situations.
Defender interest
Borussia Dortmund are the latest club to shown an interest in Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko with the full-back expected to leave Arsenal before the deadline a week on Monday. The German side are on the lookout for a new left-back after missing out on Chelsea’s Renato Veiga.
Zinchenko is now said to be their top target. The Ukranian has fallen doen the pecking order at Arsenal with Myles Lewis-Skelly's emergence this season coming after the signing of Riccardo Calafiori in the summer and it means that Zinchenko is expected to be allowed to leave before the end of the month.
FL Says: A move to Borussia Dortmund would be a good one for Zinchenko, and would allow Arsenal to move a player who is not likely to get much game time for the rest of the season on. Dortmund were looking at a loan deal for Veiga, meaning they will probably want the same for Zinchenko.
Even if Arsenal sanction that, they would get a possible loan fee and his wages off the book. There is also a possibility that any deal could have an option to make it permanent at the end of the season.
Arsenal face United fight
Arsenal face a transfer fight with Manchester United to avoid a repeat of last summer’s saga over Chido Odi-Martin.
According to Fabrizio Romano, United have made contact over a possible move for 18-year-old Arsenal defender Ayden Heaven. The teenager made his first team debut for the Gunners earlier this year against Preston North End but is out of contract at the end of the season.
That has prompted Arsenal to make their move, with Eintracht Frankfurt and Barcelona also showing an interest. Arsenal have also offered him a new deal.
FL Says: Arsenal will want to avoid losing another one of their highly-rated youngsters. A way to do that is to show them there is a pathway to first team opportunities, as they have done with Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly.
The fact that Heaven has featured in a first team game this season as well as being part of matchday squads in the Premier League should only help convince the youngster that he can continue his development at the Emirates Stadium.